Data protection notice

Protecting the privacy of the users of our website is very important to us. Most of our con-tent can be used without registration, however, we use industry-standard technologies to measure and improve the performance of our website and collect data for that purpose. In some instances we cooperate with external service providers. If we (or third parties on our behalf) collect and process personal data, we comply with the requirements of the Swiss Da-ta Protection Act. In addition, without being legally obliged, we also orient ourselves accord-ing to the requirements of the EU GDPR. This data protection notice explains how we do this.

WHAT DATA DO WE COLLECT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES?

Visiting the Website Our website can also be used without disclosing personal data. Our website server, though, temporarily stores information about user access. Information includes the IP address, the date and time of the access, the name and URL of the file accessed, the website from which the access is made (referrer URL), the browser used, the operating system of the computer used and the name of the user's access provider. We use this data to ensure a smooth connection setup, comfortable use of the web-site, evaluation of system security and stability as well as for other administrative purposes.

Subscription for the News Alert If you have subscribed to the News Alert, we will use your e-mail address to send you News Alerts. You can unsubscribe at any time (via the link in every News Alert or by e-mail to [email protected]). In addition to the e-mail address required for registration, you are free to provide your name and, if applicable, a company name. Your consent forms the basis of this data processing.

Using the Contact Form The contact form on our website gives you the opportunity to contact us. To use the contact form, you must enter your name and e-mail address. The personal data col-lected in this way will be deleted within 30 days of your request being processed. Your consent forms the basis of this data processing.

HOW DO WE USE COOKIES ON OUR WEBSITE? To optimize our offer, we use cookies on our website. These are text files that are stored on your computer and enable the analysis of the use of our website. You can configure your browser in a way that no cookies are stored on your comput-er or so that a warning is always displayed before a cookie is installed. A complete deactivation of cookies may result in the website not functioning or not functioning completely. The data processed through cookies is required for the above-mentioned purposes in order to safeguard our legitimate interests.

HOW DO WE USE WEB ANALYSIS TOOLS?Through the measures listed below, we ensure the needs-based design and continu-ous optimization of our website. These measures allow us to statistically record and evaluate the use of our website. This is our legitimate interest. We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (Google). Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze how you use the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website is usually transmitted to and stored on a Google server in the USA. We only use Google Analytics with activated IP anonymization. This means that your IP address will be shortened in Switzerland, the European Union and the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. Google will use this information on our be-half to evaluate your use of the website in order to provide us with reports on the activities of users on the website and to provide other services related to the use of the website and internet usage. Furthermore, Google will transfer this information to third parties if required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of Google. The IP address provided by your browser will not be merged with Google's other data. You may object to Google Analytics collecting the data with effect for the future by installing a deactivation add-on (http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en) for your browser. Besides the possibility to install the deactivation add-on, there is another alternative to prevent Google Analytics from collecting the data. It is partic-ularly interesting for users of mobile devices. Please click on this link to deactivate Google Analytics. You thereby install a so-called opt-out cookie that prevents the tracking of data on the website. The function remains until the opt-out cookie is deleted. If the opt-out cookie has been deleted, it is sufficient to click on the link again.

WHY DO WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA PLUG-INS? Social media plug-ins are used on our website to facilitate recommending and shar-ing our articles on the social networks LinkedIn, Xing, Twitter and Facebook. Re-sponsibility for data protection compliant operation lies with the respective provid-ers. Data will only be transferred to the mentioned providers if you are logged in with your profile on the corresponding social network. We have neither influence nor access to cookies which are placed by providers of social networks. For this reason, reference is made to the privacy statement of the relevant provider.

DO WE DISCLOSE YOUR DATA TO THIRD PARTIES?We only disclose your personal data to third parties if you expressly consent, if there is a legal obligation or permission to do so, if disclosure is necessary to assert, exer-cise or defend legal claims, or if the disclosure of data is necessary for the settle-ment of the terms and conditions of the contract with you.

HOW SECURE IS YOUR DATA? We use technical and organizational measures to protect your data against manipu-lation, loss, destruction or unauthorized access by third parties. When you visit our website, the SSL encryption method is used.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR DATA? You have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data port-ability, to revoke your consent and to object. If you believe that the processing of your data violates the data protection laws, you can report this to us or the relevant supervisory authority.

HOW CAN WE CHANGE THIS DATA PROTECTION NOTICE?We reserve the right to change this data protection notice at any time. Changes will be published on the website. Last revision May 2018.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DATA PROCESSING? Responsible for the data processing is VISCHER Ltd., Schützengasse 1, P.O. Box 5090, 8021 Zurich.

Blogs and special topics

Our specialists blog and websites on selected topics will keep you informed of the latest developments and discussions.